# (PQ 6) New Models of KSHV Oncogenesis and KS Immune Environment

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2021 · $416,939

## Abstract

PROJECT
SUMMARY
Kaposi's
common
(KSHV,
Castleman's
KSHV-associated
cells
related
of
numerous
been
superficially
ex
will
sarcoma (KS) is the most common cancer globally in people living with HIV, and among the most
cancers in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is caused by infection by the Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus
also called HHV-8). This virus also causes primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and multicentric
disease (MCD). While PEL is rare, it is an aggressive malignancy with few therapeutic options.
diseases are difficult to model because this virus is species-specific, it does not transform
in in culture, in vitro infection frequently leads to a mixture of latent and lytic viral gene expression, and
animal viruses do not cause the same pathologies. Furthermore, KS lesions are composed of a mixture
cells that include latently KSHV-infected spindle cells and a mixed inflammatory infiltrate that includes
CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, plasma cells, macrophages, and mast cells. While substantial attention has
given to the histogenesis of the spindle cells, the immune infiltrates in KS lesions have only been
and incompletely described. The overarching goal is this application is develop preclinical in vitro,
vivo and in vivo models of KSHV-associated diseases, including KS, MCD and lymphoma. To model KS, we
applyobservations from human lesions, and include the immune elements of this disease. This will be
accomplished through the following specific aims: 1) conditional expression of major latency transcript genes in
immunocompetent mice; 2) examine
of engineer synthetic, in vitro and ex vivo Kaposi sarcoma-like tissue
niches for controlled growth of healthy and diseased primary endothelial cells. We will examine the effects of
first line therapeutic approaches, targeted therapy and immunotherapy in these models to validate them for
preclinical use.
major
immune
subsets
in
mice;
the tumor immune environment in KS lesions in patients and test the role
and 3)

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10165675
- **Project number:** 5R01CA250074-02
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Ethel Cesarman
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $416,939
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-05-15 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10165675

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10165675, (PQ 6) New Models of KSHV Oncogenesis and KS Immune Environment (5R01CA250074-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10165675. Licensed CC0.

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